Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument
{{Short description|Monument in Austin, Texas, U.S.}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
File:A maquette of the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument.jpg of the monument]]
The Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument, is a memorial designed by New Mexico artist Duke Sundt,{{cite journal|last=Vander Meer|first=Sharon|title=Cowboy Sculptor Enjoys the Ride|journal=New Mexico Magazine|date=March 2000|page=66|url=http://www.dukesundt.com/assets/duke_article.pdf|accessdate=12 July 2013|archive-date=13 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140713113947/http://www.dukesundt.com/assets/duke_article.pdf|url-status=live}} installed on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, United States.{{cite web | url=https://tspb.texas.gov/prop/tcg/tcg-monuments/20_vietnam_veterans/index.html | title=SPB - Capitol Grounds Monuments | access-date=2022-08-13 | archive-date=2018-09-03 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180903225413/https://tspb.texas.gov/prop/tcg/tcg-monuments/20_vietnam_veterans/index.html | url-status=live }} It serves as a tribute to all Texans who served in the Vietnam War and a memorial to the 3,417 who died.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} Ground was broken on March 25, 2013 on the northeast side of the Capitol.{{cite web|last=Beach|first=Patrick|title=Officials break ground for Vietnam veterans monument at Texas Capitol|url=http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional/officials-break-ground-for-vietnam-veterans-monume/nW4Hg/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130713045806/http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional/officials-break-ground-for-vietnam-veterans-monume/nW4Hg/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 13, 2013|publisher=Austin American Statesman|accessdate=12 July 2013}} The monument was dedicated on March 29, 2014.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}
History of the monument
Texas State Representative Wayne Smith and State Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa met with fellow Vietnam Veterans in December 2005, each donating $1,000 to form a nonprofit organization that would finance a monument commemorating Texans who served in the Vietnam War. Other members of the Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument Committee included Robert Floyd, John Miterko, Terry B. Burkett, Alan Erwin, Phil Price, Kerry Orr, Don Dorsey, Kinnan Golemon, Richard McBride, and Michael Wright.{{cite web|title=TCVVM Committee|url=http://buildthemonument.org/the-tcvvm-committee#juan-hinojosa|accessdate=13 July 2013|archive-date=11 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811064506/http://buildthemonument.org/the-tcvvm-committee#juan-hinojosa|url-status=live}} Lady Bird Johnson, wife of former President Lyndon Baines Johnson, served as Honorary Co-Chair.{{cite web|last=Del Bosque|first=Melissa|title=Senator Juan Hinojosa, Rep. Wayne Smith Present First Donated Funds to Build Vietnam Memorial on Capitol Grounds|url=http://www.hinojosa.senate.state.tx.us/pr05/p120905a.htm|publisher=The Senate of Texas|accessdate=12 July 2013|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120025/http://www.hinojosa.senate.state.tx.us/pr05/p120905a.htm|url-status=live}} The legislators co-authored House Concurrent Resolution 36 - 79th Texas Legislature.{{cite web|title=Smith honors Texas heroes at Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument ceremony|date=26 March 2013|url=http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/pasadena/news/smith-honors-texas-heroes-at-texas-capitol-vietnam-veterans-monument/article_70348d13-44dd-5ce6-ab06-8d7cf3fd2f4f.html|publisher=The Pasadena Citizen|access-date=13 July 2013|archive-date=13 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220813135758/https://www.chron.com/neighborhood/pasadena/news/article/Smith-honors-Texas-heroes-at-Texas-Capitol-9404474.php|url-status=live}}{{cite web|title=HCR 36|url=http://buildthemonument.org/house-concurrent-resolution-36-79th-texas-legislature|accessdate=12 July 2013|archive-date=11 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811062252/http://buildthemonument.org/house-concurrent-resolution-36-79th-texas-legislature|url-status=live}} The monument is being paid for by donations from individuals, corporations and veteran organizations, along with a $500,000 matching grant from the Texas Historical Commission.{{cite web|last=Dorsey|first=Don|title=Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument Foundry Work Begins|url=http://www.texvet.org/postings/texas-capitol-vietnam-veterans-monument-foundry-work-begins|publisher=TexVet|accessdate=12 July 2013|archive-date=16 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216201145/http://www.texvet.org/postings/texas-capitol-vietnam-veterans-monument-foundry-work-begins|url-status=live}}
Rationale
Nearly 60,000 Americans died in the Vietnam War,{{cite web|title=Statistics about the Vietnam War|url=http://www.vhfcn.org/stat.html|publisher=History.com|accessdate=13 July 2013|archive-date=6 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106193244/http://www.vhfcn.org/stat.html|url-status=live}} and 3,417 of them were from Texas.{{cite web|title=Texas Vietnam Heroes Exhibit|url=http://buildthemonument.org/texas-vietnam-heroes-exhibit|accessdate=13 July 2013|archive-date=11 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811064331/http://buildthemonument.org/texas-vietnam-heroes-exhibit|url-status=live}} At a reading of the names of fallen veterans held in the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium at the LBJ Library, newspaper reporter and Vietnam war correspondent Joe Galloway explained the purpose of the Texas Vietnam Veterans Monument is to "encourage hometowns across America to go all out to welcome Vietnam veterans--the welcome they didn't get 50 years ago."{{cite web|last=Covo|first=Angela|title=Texas honors Vietnam Vets|url=http://www.laprensasa.com/301_c-o-m-u-n-i-d-a-d/2019228_texas-honors-vietnam-vets.html|publisher=La Prensa|accessdate=12 July 2013|archive-date=8 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508205416/http://www.laprensasa.com/301_c-o-m-u-n-i-d-a-d/2019228_texas-honors-vietnam-vets.html|url-status=live}}
Design
The monument is a 14-foot-tall bronze sculpture featuring five seven-foot tall infantry figures in patrol positions situated atop an eight-sided base.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}} Designed to represent the diversity of Texas Vietnam Veterans, the figures will be Hispanic-American, African-American, Asian, Native-American, and Caucasian.{{cite web|last=Wiggins|first=Mark|title=Vietnam veterans lead monument groundbreaking|url=http://www.kvue.com/news/Vietnam-veteran-lawmakers-lead-monument-groundbreaking-199939461.html|accessdate=24 July 2013|archive-date=16 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216202458/http://www.kvue.com/news/Vietnam-veteran-lawmakers-lead-monument-groundbreaking-199939461.html|url-status=live}} Entombed within the monument will be 3,417 handcrafted dog tags, representing each of the Texas veterans who died in Vietnam.{{cite web|title=Ground Broken on Texas Vietnam Veterans Monument|url=http://vva.org/blog/?p=1518|publisher=Arts of War on the Web|accessdate=12 July 2013|archive-date=8 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130708091721/http://vva.org/blog/?p=1518|url-status=live}} The estimated cost of the monument is $1.5 million.{{cite web|last=Hadley|first=Robin|title=Vietnam Veterans Memorial Proposed for Capitol Grounds|url=http://capitolcrowd.blogspot.com/2008/05/vietnam-veterans-memorial-proposed-for.html|accessdate=12 July 2013|archive-date=21 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221215847/http://capitolcrowd.blogspot.com/2008/05/vietnam-veterans-memorial-proposed-for.html|url-status=live}}
Texas Vietnam Heroes Exhibit
The Texas Vietnam Heroes Exhibit is a visual representation of the 3,417 Texans who did not survive to come home from Vietnam. Designed by Marine Vietnam veteran Don Dorsey, it was built by Excalibur Exhibits and consists of hand-embossed dog tags featuring the name, rank, branch of service, and date of loss and home of record for each veteran.{{cite web|title=Texas Vietnam Heroes Exhibit|url=http://buildthemonument.org/texas-vietnam-heroes-exhibit|accessdate=24 July 2013|archive-date=11 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811064331/http://buildthemonument.org/texas-vietnam-heroes-exhibit|url-status=live}} A second dog tag bearing duplicate information will be entombed in the Monument on the Texas Capitol grounds.{{cite web|title=Texas Vietnam Heroes exhibit opens next month at Institute|url=http://www.pleasantonexpress.com/news/2013-07-17/News/Texas_Vietnam_Heroes_exhibit_opens_next_month_at_I.html|accessdate=24 July 2013|archive-date=2013-12-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216201345/http://www.pleasantonexpress.com/news/2013-07-17/News/Texas_Vietnam_Heroes_exhibit_opens_next_month_at_I.html|url-status=live}} The exhibit opened to the public at the LBJ Library in Austin, Texas on March 24, 2013. On the same day, a reading of the names of all 3,417 veterans was held in the Lady Bird Johnson Auditorium at the LBJ Library, and ground was broken at the Texas State Capitol.{{cite web|title=Groundbreaking Ceremonies for Monument Honoring Texas Vietnam War Veterans|url=http://www.lbjlibrary.org/press/groundbreaking-ceremonies-for-monument-honoring-texas-vietnam-war-veterans|accessdate=24 July 2013|archive-date=16 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216200300/http://www.lbjlibrary.org/press/groundbreaking-ceremonies-for-monument-honoring-texas-vietnam-war-veterans|url-status=live}} The exhibit will travel from Austin to San Antonio, Lubbock, Houston, Fort Worth and Beaumont while the monument is being constructed.{{cite web|title=Texas Vietnam Heroes Exhibit Begins Tour of Texas|url=http://www.texasinsider.org/texas-vietnam-heroes-exhibit-begins-tour-of-texas/|accessdate=24 July 2013|archive-date=22 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131222185741/http://www.texasinsider.org/texas-vietnam-heroes-exhibit-begins-tour-of-texas/|url-status=live}}
References
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External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Texas Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument}}
{{Public art in Austin, Texas}}
{{coord|30.2755|-97.7390|type:landmark_region:US-TX|display=title}}
Category:2014 establishments in Texas
Category:Bronze sculptures in Texas
Category:Outdoor sculptures in Austin, Texas
Category:Sculptures of men in Texas
Category:Vietnam War monuments and memorials in the United States